[tahoe-lafs-trac-stream] [Tahoe-LAFS] #3457: The separate introducer servers represent unnecessary complexity in an overall Tahoe-LAFS deployment

[Tahoe-LAFS]

#3457: The separate introducer servers represent unnecessary complexity in an
overall Tahoe-LAFS deployment
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     Reporter:  exarkun       |      Owner:
         Type:  defect        |     Status:  new
     Priority:  normal        |  Milestone:  undecided
    Component:  code-network  |    Version:  n/a
   Resolution:                |   Keywords:
Launchpad Bug:                |
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Comment (by exarkun):

 Here's one idea.  Take the introducer functionality of accepting
 announcements and delivering them to subscribers and allow it to be folded
 into a Tahoe-LAFS process of another sort - say, a storage server.  Thus,
 operating a storage server would automatically provide introducer
 functionality.  Since storage servers are already an essentially component
 of a Tahoe-LAFS deployment this does not add any new long-lived processes
 or operational components to a deployment.  Since the introducer
 functionality is now available from storage servers, the dedicated
 introducer servers can now be removed.  This reduces the overall
 complexity of a deployment.

 This does not solve all of the problems we have with introducers.  For
 example, a client will still need a statically configured list of
 introducers.  At least one of these introducers will have to remain online
 as long as clients with that configuration continue to operate.

 It also does not reduce the load on the introducer component.  Each
 introducer must handle all announcements relevant to the deployment.  This
 adds runtime cost of O(N) to each storage server that is also an
 introducer.

 It does not defend against unreliable storage being announced since it can
 now just be announced to the introducer-in-storage server instead of the
 stand-alone introducer server.

 It may mitigate the privacy concerns since clients are already going to
 maintain a long-lived connection to a storage server.

 It does not address behavior in the face of misbehaving introducer
 clients.

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Ticket URL: <https://tahoe-lafs.org/trac/tahoe-lafs/ticket/3457#comment:2>
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